West Virginia Center for Civic Life
The West Virginia Center for Civic Life is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that helps engage our citizens in community discussions of important public issues that affect our state and nation.
Think. Deliberate. Act.
Our Leadership
Board of Directors
President, Paul Gilmer, Charleston, WV
"Public dialogue must be present in society to allow citizen participation--the will of the people--in the governance/decision-making processes that impact the evolution of society in a positive or negative way.”
Paul Gilmer, Manager of Community Affairs for Triana Energy Services Company, also worked for Triana at Columbia Natural Resources and has had many management assignments throughout his 40-year professional career. Gilmer is also a small business owner and volunteer manager of youth development programs.
Joe Barker, Vice-President, Charleston, WV
“Far too often in these days of sound bites, telephone polls and political spin, the individual citizen is ‘spoken for’ rather than ‘spoken with.’ I believe that two-way or multi-directional public dialogue is the only valid and true means for achieving real and meaningful conversation that results in the best possible solutions to public issues.”
Joe Barker is the director of the Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion in the WV Bureau for Public Health, working with community, state and federal partners to help create environments in which people and communities can achieve the best possible health outcomes.
Secretary Susan Gilpin, Huntington, WV
"I have supported the Center's mission for over twenty years because I believe in the transformative power of public dialogue."
Susan Gilpin is an associate dean of the Honors College at Marshall University, where she is assisting with the student curriculum for leadership and civic engagement.
Treasurer, Doug Walters, Charleston, WV
"Throughout my professional career as well as through personal experience, I have found that open, honest conversations are vital to developing relationships that are beneficial for an open society. Those open relationships only come about with an understanding of the importance and need for civil, respectful dialogue."
Douglas J. Walters is a former university dean of students at two institutions and is presently president of a small educational consulting firm, Transformation Specialist, LP.
David Chairez, Charleston, WV
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Dolly Ford, Morgantown, WV
"Communities (large and small) are at their very best when they realize their social capital by engaging in deliberative conversations. Difficult decisions can and do get made for the sake of the common good when the public is engaged and informed by one another."
Dolly Ford is a clinical therapist in WVU's Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry and WVU Children's Hospital where she provides therapy to patients and families regarding acute and chronic illnesses and traumas as well as couples and family therapy.
Jill Kriesky, Wheeling, WV
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Amy Martin, Williamson, WV
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Tera McKown, Charleston, WV
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Tom McHugh, Charleston, WV
“In many years as a judge I have observed that civilized dialogue solves many problems or certainly narrows the issues.”
Thomas McHugh is a Justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Francesca Nestor, Morgantown, WV
“Democracy can't work unless we know what the people are really thinking about the issues we face, and we can't know that unless we talk about it in a purposeful way.”
Franchesca V. Nestor is the Director of West Virginia Campus Compact. She works with colleges across the state to provide support for their service learning and civic engagement programming.
Margaret O'Neal, Beckley, WV
I believe public dialogue is vital to our work as we discuss the future of education, economic development and social issues such as substance abuse in our communities and across the state.
Margaret Ann O’Neal is the Executive Director of United Way of Southern West Virginia which serves Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Summers and Wyoming counties.
Patricia O’Reilly, St. Albans, WV
“Public dialogue is the exchange and analysis of ideas that produces solutions to civic needs and strengthens civic responsibility.”
Prior to retirement, Patricia O'Reilly, Ph.D. was a Marshall University Associate Vice President who directed Institutional Research and Planning and was also an Associate Professor in Education.
Kent Spellman, Stonewood, WV
“The Hub's work has revealed that civic engagement and ongoing public dialogue are the most important community development tools. Without them, community development is not effective or sustainable.”
Kent Spellman is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Community Development Hub, a statewide nonprofit with the mission of engaging communities and providers in an intentional, aligned and continuous system of community development. The Hub is an intermediary, networker, aligner and incubator that connects communities to resources, resource providers to one another, and communities to one another.
Ronni Spudich, Charleston, WV
“It is important that people come together and discuss common problems. Public dialogue provides the vehicle necessary for collaboration.”
Ronni Spudich works for Job Corps, which is a program that trains young adults for meaningful careers. She currently is the project director for West Virginia Career Transition Services, providing transition services to former Job Corps students throughout West Virginia.
